Explanation of the author's statement: ". . (No secret conversation takes place among three except that He is the fourth of them, nor among five except that He is the sixth of them, nor fewer than that, nor more, except that He is with them wherever they may be)
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : He said " The second verse [Al-Mujadila 58:7] regarding the secret conversation of three: is this attached to three, meaning a secret conversation attached to three, or is three a substitute for the secret conversation? " There are two opinions among the grammarians on this. Some of them said "No secret conversation takes place among three, meaning among the private meeting of three", and some of them say "No secret conversation takes place, meaning among the group of the secret conversation, three, so it becomes a substitute for the secret conversation", and in any case, the meaning does not differ. [Al-Mujadila 58:7] And the secret conversation is addressing another with hidden speech. Allah the Exalted said: [Maryam 19:52] These three who are conversing in secret, Allah the Exalted is their third.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Ah, yes, except that He is their fourth. Allah the Exalted is their fourth, and the meaning of "their fourth" is not that He is in their place as their fourth, but rather He, Glorified and Exalted is He, is in His place above His heavens, upon His Throne, but because of the perfection of His encompassing knowledge, He is as if He is with them; nothing of their affair is hidden from Him.[Al-Mujadila 58:7], nor fewer than that, nor more, except that He is with them. Fewer than that, what is that? Fewer than three and fewer than five, or not?
The student: Fewer than three.
The Shaykh : Fewer than three, good. And fewer than five? Fewer than five, meaning four. Four, and Allah is their fifth, yes. Nor fewer than that, nor more. More than what? More than five. More than five, because the limit mentioned by Allah the Mighty and Majestic is five[Al-Mujadila 58:7], meaning nor more than five except that He is with them wherever they may be, in any place and in any number, for Allah the Mighty and Majestic encompasses them with the utmost encompassing knowledge. And just as He is present in your innate disposition, it is not possible for us to imagine that Allah the Mighty and Majestic is on the earth, because this is not befitting of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Rather, the meaning is that He is with His creation and He is above them, due to the perfection of His attributes, Glorified and Exalted is He, and His encompassing knowledge.
No secret conversation
ما يكونThere is in no private conversation three but that He is the fourth of them
ما يكون من نجوى ثلاثة إلا هو رابعهمThere is in no private conversation three but that He is the fourth of them
ما يكون من نجوى ثلاثة إلا هو رابعهمAnd We called him from the side of the mount at [his] right and brought him near, confiding [to him].
وناديناه من جانب الطور الأيمن وقربناه نجياThe student: ...
The Shaykh : Ah, yes, except that He is their fourth. Allah the Exalted is their fourth, and the meaning of "their fourth" is not that He is in their place as their fourth, but rather He, Glorified and Exalted is He, is in His place above His heavens, upon His Throne, but because of the perfection of His encompassing knowledge, He is as if He is with them; nothing of their affair is hidden from Him.
nor are there five but that He is the sixth of them
ولا خمسة إلا هو سادسهمThe student: Fewer than three.
The Shaykh : Fewer than three, good. And fewer than five? Fewer than five, meaning four. Four, and Allah is their fifth, yes. Nor fewer than that, nor more. More than what? More than five. More than five, because the limit mentioned by Allah the Mighty and Majestic is five